Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) procedures are well known in the veterinary art. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy procedures are used to correct ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments for various animals, particularly canines. These procedures provide an alternative therapy to ligament repair procedures. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy procedures have become the standard of care for medium and large canines.
When the canine ligament partially or fully ruptures, the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy procedure provides a way to correct this problem. A curvilinear cut is made to the upper portion of the tibia. This cut portion of the tibia is then rotated on the order of about 20-30 degrees to create a more level plane or surface on the top of the tibia upon which the femur can rest. The cut and repositioned portion of the tibia is then secured to the lower portion of the tibia.
There is a need for a TPLO bone plate provided with a new design that allows surgeons to secure to one or more tibial segments of an animal, as part of a tibial leveling osteotomy procedure for an animal. Also needed is a TPLO bone plate that offers a means for providing rotational stability, particularly means for providing additional rotational stability to the TPLO procedure. Also needed is a method of fracture or osteotomy repair in animals that allows securing of dissected soft tissue to the anatomic position where it was dissected, during the fracture or osteotomy repair.